What the World's Top 10 Billionaires Are Watching: Three Surprising Stock Moves in Recent Months

Inside the Portfolios: Billionaire Investment Moves Revealed

The SEC’s quarterly filings have exposed fascinating insights into how some of the world’s most accomplished investors—including Warren Buffett, Ken Griffin, and Chase Coleman—are positioning their wealth. These mandatory disclosures offer a rare window into the decision-making of financial titans managing trillions in assets. Let’s examine three standout investment decisions that caught the market’s attention in late 2024.

When a Tech Skeptic Changes Direction: Buffett’s Alphabet Gambit

For decades, Warren Buffett has maintained a cautious stance toward technology stocks, building Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio around established, predictable businesses. His rare tech exceptions—Apple and Amazon holdings—surprised many observers. But nothing prepared investors for his latest move.

In November, Berkshire Hathaway quietly initiated a substantial new stake in Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOG), purchasing over 17.8 million shares at approximately $200.68 per share, representing an investment totaling roughly $3.6 billion. This wasn’t a modest nibble—it was a full-scale commitment from one of history’s most deliberate investors.

The timing proved prescient. Alphabet’s stock has since surged to $313 per share, generating approximately $2 billion in paper gains within six months. The company’s transformation under new leadership appears to be steering Berkshire toward greater technology exposure, particularly in mega-cap firms where even a multibillion-dollar position represents a controlled stake.

YouTube’s expanding audience and Gemini’s favorable market reception suggest Buffett sees genuine growth potential. For Berkshire, companies of this scale offer the rare combination of durability and expansion opportunity that align with the conglomerate’s investment philosophy.

The Contrarian Billionaire Doubles Down: Griffin’s Nio Reversal

Ken Griffin’s investment approach differs markedly from Buffett’s. His Citadel Advisors fund maintains over 14,000 positions, employing complex derivatives strategies alongside equity holdings. Yet within this sprawling portfolio sits an unexpected consistency: Nio, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer.

Griffin’s relationship with Nio spans years, dating back to September 2018 when he potentially acquired shares near the IPO price of $6.26. He weathered the stock’s meteoric rise to $62.84 in 2021 and its devastating decline to $3.14 in April 2024—a 95% drawdown. Most would have abandoned the position, but Griffin had other plans.

After paring his Nio stake in Q2, signaling pessimism through increased put options and reduced calls, Griffin reversed course entirely in Q3. He aggressively accumulated nearly 5 million additional shares, quadrupling his direct holdings to $48.3 million and adding 4.5 million call options, bringing his total call position to $103.7 million. This wasn’t a marginal adjustment—it represented a fundamental shift toward constructive positioning.

The bet has partially vindicated itself. While Nio trades at $5.35 today, it has recovered from lower levels, and Griffin’s reported average price of $5.08 per share now sits in profitable territory. Whether this reflects deep conviction in EV adoption trends or a calculated assessment of the company’s production trajectory remains ambiguous, but the conviction behind the move is unmistakable.

The Newcomer: Coleman’s Netflix Speculation

Among the world’s top billionaire investors, Chase Coleman III’s emergence as a new Netflix stakeholder in November 2024 commanded attention. Tiger Global Management, his hedge fund, initiated a position in Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) consisting of more than 2 million shares.

At an average purchase price of $122.66 per share, Coleman’s entry cost approached $250 million—a substantial commitment for a completely new holding. The scale suggests either strategic conviction or calculated speculation around streaming industry consolidation, particularly regarding potential Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) transactions.

The near-term outcome has disappointed. Netflix shares have retreated to $94.14, creating an underwater position. However, billionaire investors rarely evaluate holdings across monthly timescales. Success or failure hinges on medium-to-long-term catalysts: a blockbuster Q4 earnings report, resolution of industry consolidation dynamics, or unexpected strategic partnerships could rapidly alter the investment thesis.

What These Moves Signal About Market Conviction

These three investments from recognized billionaires—spanning technology infrastructure, emerging automotive innovation, and entertainment consumption—illuminate where sophisticated capital perceives opportunity. Whether through Buffett’s calculated shift toward tech giants, Griffin’s contrarian doubling-down on EV exposure, or Coleman’s entry into streaming, these moves reflect conviction that extends beyond quarterly noise.

The fact that such investments receive SEC scrutiny and public attention underscores why tracking the moves of the world’s most successful allocators can inform broader market understanding. These aren’t speculative trades but deliberate portfolio positioning from investors with decades of proven track records.